Buying Signal

What is a Buying Signal?

A buying signal (or purchase signal) is a verbal or behavioral cue from a prospect that indicates they're ready to move forward in the sales process.

Buying signals reveal heightened interest and intent—critical indicators that help salespeople know when to push for commitment and when to back off.

Types of Buying Signals:

• Verbal: Questions about pricing, implementation, timeline
• Behavioral: Actions showing engagement (scheduling multiple meetings)
• Implicit: Indirect indicators (asking about contract terms)
• Explicit: Direct statements of interest

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Common Buying Signals

Interest Signals

They want to learn more.

Examples:

• "Can you show me how [feature] works?"
• "How does this compare to [competitor]?"
• "Can you send me a proposal?"
• "What does implementation look like?"

Urgency Signals

They want to move quickly.

Examples:

• "We need this in place by [date]"
• "This is becoming a priority for us"
• "We're looking to make a decision quickly"
• "Can we expedite this process?"

Objection Signals

They're working through concerns (a buying signal in disguise).

Examples:

• "How would this work with [specific scenario]?"
• "I'm concerned about [potential issue]"
• "We'd need to see [outcome] before committing"
• "Your pricing is higher than we expected"

Questions about objections often signal serious consideration.

Commitment Signals

They're preparing to move forward.

Examples:

• "Who needs to be involved from our side?"
• "What does the onboarding process look like?"
• "When can you start?"
• "Send over the contract"

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False Buying Signals

Not all positive signals indicate readiness.

Polite Interest

They're being nice, not serious.

Indicators:

• "Sounds interesting" without follow-up questions
• "Send me more info" with no specific request
• Agreement without action
• Vague next steps

Information Gathering

They're researching, not buying.

Indicators:

• Questions far beyond your solution scope
• Requests for extensive documentation
• Comparing multiple vendors passively
• No urgency in their questions

Competitive Leverage

Using you to negotiate with another vendor.

Indicators:

• Focused primarily on pricing
• Sharing competitor quotes openly
• Pushing for concessions
• Unwilling to engage on value

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Responding to Buying Signals

Match Their Energy

Mirror their level of engagement.

• High energy signals: Respond quickly, move toward close
• Low energy signals: Provide value, check understanding
• Objection signals: Address concerns directly
• Commitment signals: Push for next steps

Test the Signal

Verify the signal is genuine.

Testing Questions:

• "On a scale of 1-10, how important is this to you?"
• "What would need to be true for you to move forward?"
• "What happens if you don't solve this?"
• "When would you like to implement?"

Advance the Deal

Use signals to move toward close.

Advancement Questions:

• "If we can address [concern], are you ready to move forward?"
• "What needs to happen for us to get started?"
• "Can we schedule the next step now?"

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Key Takeaways

• Buying signal = verbal/behavioral cue indicating purchase readiness
• Interest signals: questions about features, comparisons, proposals
• Urgency signals: timeline questions, priority statements
• Objection signals: concerns about fit, pricing, implementation
• Commitment signals: next step questions, contract requests
• Not all signals are genuine—test before assuming
• Match your response to the signal type and intensity
• Use signals to advance toward closing

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Sources:

• SalesHacker - 17 Buying Signals That Show a Prospect is Ready to Buy
• PunchB2B - How Internal Champions Accelerate Sales Cycles